Air pilot



Feb. 14, 1950 s, SODERBERG I 2,497,475

AIR PILOT Filed July 91,9946 2 sheets-sheet 1 57i/v 50055553 G BY @.gLM/wfwwwm ATTORNEY S Feb. 14, 1950 s, SQDERBERG 2,497,475

AIR PILOT Filed July 9, 1946 2 ShetS-Shee'b 2 lNvEN-roR 5715/1/ 500e-@35H6 BY pm] (om mob, Y @w1/Low v ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 14, 1950 Am PILOT Sten Soderherg, Nutley, N. J., assignor to Leslie Co., Lyndhurst, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey f Application July 9,1946, ser-iai No. 682,397

. l Y. This invention relates to valves and more particularly to a regulatingmeans for controlling the sensitivity of a valve member.

While the invention is capable of various uses,

it will be described in connection with a pilot f' device in systems Vto control pressure, volume, temperature or rate of flow of a iluid.v

In such systems the flow of fluid in the main 'line may be controlled by a diaphragm operated valve. A source of airorgas is connected to the diaphragm chamber, generally through a pipe having a restriction to iiow therein. The pilot valve is in turn connected to the last mentioned pipe and by regulating the discharge orifice of the pilot valve, the pressure inthe diayhragm chamber is controlled.

The place or thing to be control1ed,'such as the temperature of anenclosure, pressure in a system, etc., actuates a member, such as a bellows, Bourdon tube, diaphragm or the like, to operate a iiapper element arranged over the discharge oriiice and thus control the pressurevin the diaphragm chamber of the main valve by the amount of discharge through the orifice.

While for any given discharge orifice the rate of discharge will depend directly upon themovement of position of the flapper element, a further regulation is desirable to control the sensi- Ativity of the system. Thus, under some conditions a rise or fall of a few'po'unds of pressure .or degrees of temperature may call fora complete opening or closing of the main valve whereas under other conditions, amore gradual opening or closing, i. e., throttling, of the valve may be desired.

The present invention relates toan improved arrangement of the discharge Y orifice whereby the sensitivity can be regulated. In carrying out the invention I provide a rotatably mounted tube having a discharge orifice at its end whose major axis is much greater than its minor axis. Adja- .cent the end of the opening I provide a pivctally mounted, wiping arm or lever which is adapted to assume positions closing or Ypartially, closing the discharge orifice and thus regulate or control the pressure in the diaphragm chamber of -the valve. When the tube is arranged in a position that the path of movement of the wiping lever is across the major axis of the opening, it

will be apparent that the lever must move through 1 this longer distance'to move from -a completely .opened to a completely closed position and that any less movement merely results -in a partial opening or partial closing o1 the discharge orifice.

l10n the other hand, if the tube-isrotateaso" se 5 Claims. (Cl. 137-153) that the path of movement of the wiping lever is in the line of the minor axis of the discharge orifice, a very slight movement results in a 'complete `opening or complete closing of the discharge oriiice. Intermediate degrees of sensitivity may be obtained by adjusting the tube to intermediate positions between these two`-` limits. In theaccompanying drawing, I have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this showing: Y Fig. l is a vertical,`sectional view, parts ,being shown in section: I

Fig. 2 is a transverse, vertical, sectional view on line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the support for the vwiping lever;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view with the wiping arm or lever in position of open discharge orifice and arranged to be closed upon increase in pressure in the system;

. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the discharge orifice'closed; Y

Fig..6 is a similar view with the discharge orifice openand with the wiping arm connected to move to a closing position upon decrease in pressure ,in the system; and

Fig. 7 is a similar view with the discharge orice closed. l

Referring to the drawings, the control mechanism is mounted in a suitable casing I having a removable cover 2 to permit access to the mechanism. A chamber 3 is mounted on top of the vcasing and this chamber is connected with a pipe 4 which may lead to the system or apparatus to be controlled, such as a main line in which either volume or pressure is to be controlled, a room lor enclosure in which the temperature is to be controlled, or the like. tration I will assume a situation in which the For the purpose of illusthe bellows and is provided with a reduced lower portion 'l extending through an opening in the 'top of the casing. The lower'end of the stud is pointed as at 8.l

Shoulder 9, formed at' the junction of the main body portion of the Ystud.

and the reduced lower end, limits the downward 'movement ofthe stud by engagement with the 'top of the casing.

Within-the casing I provide a lever I0 mounted .on pivotsll on the inside ci"l the top of the casing. Intermediate the ends of the lever I provide an adjustable screw I 2 passing through a threaded opening in the lever and having a depression to receive the pointed end of the stud. The screw may be held in adjusted position by a nut. Adjacent the other end of the lever I provide a stop screw I3 to limit its upward movement. Upward pressure is exerted on the lever by a followeril4 having a pin I5 projecting from it and passing through an opening Iii in the lever. Adjacent the lower end of the pin I5, the follower is provided with a substantially ball- 'l'fings 50 and 5I whereby the link may be conlike surface to permit the follower to contact with I the bottom of the opening li v regardl'esse'of .the angular position of the lever. The f'follower 114 is -urged upwardly by a spring I8, the lower end of which is engaged by a follower =I -9 mountedrin a yoke 2i). A threaded rod 2I passes through the yoke to engage the lower follower and isc-provided with a handle 22on its lower end. The compression of the rspring, and ,thus the vrup- Wardiforce-'exerted :on lever lil, `mayaberegulated by.rodi;2|. vA pinorxothersecuringmeans (not shown) may be passed through theV portionothe pin ,ISrabove thelever igitoipermit thesassembly` ior removal of :the 'spring I8r..without removing the follower I4.

'The pilot member (seesiFig 2) -cornprises a block: 23=having-ahorizontally arranged bore and an intersecting vertically arranged bore. It is arranged on. one offthe walls of 'the casing. 'The exposed end of the horizontal boreiisfof :reduced cross section as 'indicated -at- A24. and is adapted to receive the tube 25 havinga central bore 2.' The .nected to lever I 0 either in the position shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5 of the drawings, or in the posiitionfshown'in'Figs'fand 7 of the drawings.

vTheoperation:of-the device will be better understood by reference to Figs. 4 to 7. In Figs. 4

fand 45, the linkati] is shown connected to the 1end'o`f thisboreis reduced'andis:illustratedas f' a rectangular orice 21. However,;it mayfberof other "shapes, such as oval, in which 'the major laxis greatly-exceeds the.:minor axis. "Inwarclly vof the-face ofthe member '$23 Athe`A horizontal bore is enlarged as at 28 and the :tubular member d5 is 'provided `with :a Yflange 29 `whichfabuts vthe shoulder so formed to position the outer'iaceand discharge prince. Suitable packing and rings =30 are arranged in the "bore 'beyond lthe flange.

'The rvparts iare-'held assembled Aby 1a spring f3 I :and i;

the end of the bore is closedby: afthreadedfcap t32. 'The verticalbore33 intersectsfthe horizontal bore and al pipe 34 is connected to it. This pipe 'is gin turn connected tothe source -o'fregulating -air'or gas (not'shown) which isalsodeliveredto the diaphragm chamber-ofthe diaphragm valve (not shown). A 'disc 35 may be mountedon the -tube125-to facilitate rotation ofthe tube andthe Asurface-of the pilot member r23 maybeprovided with'indlcia `3&1? `"to 'indicatefthe adjusted position ofthe Ydischarge orifice.

A wiping arm or'lever is pivotally mounted'in "front ofthe discharge opening and is yadaptedto --move over it with a wiping or shearing 'contact -so as to close 'the vdischarge oriiice whendesired. The lever may be vso ladjusted that lno excess *friction will occur between it andthe end ofthe *tube 25. As shown, lever 44 `ismounted `onv-a pivot"38 (see Fig. v3) and this pivot is carried-by 4a bracket "39 secured 'to the fmember T23. "The :bracket ycarries alea'f spring 4D-whichserves to Aresiliently support oneend ofthempivot member,

`thepivot-rnember 'being provided with ad'ecluc'ed endwll received in an opening in the-member #0. "The opposite end'42 o'f the pivot'member lslikei wise-provided with a reduced end receivedy inthe u:end of a h*screw "'43passing through athreaded opening in the bracket to provide "an adjustment -lof'the pivot. The wipinglever '441s mounted on *the pivotandiaspring-'M surrounds thexpvotand i715 the maior faxis iis -arrangcd :vertically :or 'no bracketv at the opening 50 and in this arrangemerit an VAincrease in pressure in the pipe 4 is adapted to move the wiping lever 44 from the position-shown .rin Eignfi with the .discharge `orice `21 opentto` the: position shown in :Fig 5 with the discharge oricez'closed. Aspressurei-builds up insthe cha1nb.er3',^the bellows is forcedadownwardly untiltheshoulder 9 'onthe stud lengages .thetop ofzthe 'casingasfshown.in'fFig 5. 'This downwardmovement `is transmitted to'leveri againstk the force: of spring 'IB causingzthe`link41 tomove downwardly 'and move the wipinglever over-:the discharge orice. Pressure'then builds up in the control :systemanddnthe diaphragm chamber of the. diaphragm valve (not shown) to open the valve.

When'the control is usedtoclose the discharge orice upon a-idecrease'in pressure, the link 47 is connected to opening 5I in 'fthebra'cket 549 mov-- ing rthe link downwardly land thus swinging -the 'crank portion -54'8 of the wiping -lever y--counterclockwise. With this connectionand-with pressure in the-*chamber y3,'.as indicated in Fig. 6,-the ldischarge orice is opened `-by the wiping lever `4'4vis'arrange'd on the opposite side of thedis- 'charge orlce Afrom fthat illustrated in Fig. 4. Under these conditionsfuponadecrease in pressurefin thepipe '4 and vl`the chamber 3, the bel- `lows 'expands tending to move away from -the 'lever `IIL-but the `'lever I0 is :forced upwardly lby spring I8A until-the stop screw i3 engages the top yof 'the'casing As this foccurs, the wiping'lever moves-in -a clockwise direction around its pivot to close Vthe discharge orifice.

' As stated, lthe-plane 'in which the wiping lever :44 oscillates* can lbe regulated V"through the adijusting screw t43 to move `the pivot toward or away from the face of the tubular member 25. The pressure'of spring I8 may be adjusted by rod' '2| Aand the path 'oftravel vof the wiping lever "may-be regulated by vscrew I2 and stop screw I3. The screw l2 should be adjusted vto permit stud -6 to move downwardly a suicient distance to bring the shoulder 9 into Contact with the top ofthe casingand stop screw I3 should be ad- :justedto limit fthe movementof the wip-inglever -in a clockwise vdirection either rto-assume theposition shown'in'Fig. 4-when the apparatus is connected to close the discharge -oriiice upon'increase in'pressure Yor to assume the position 'shown in Fig. "7 whenthe link'4`l is connectedito close the kdischarge ori'ce'upon decrease 'in pressure.

' It will be apparent that the sensitivity of the Icontrolcmay be regulated by rotating the tube `12'5 from the position 'showninthe :drawingsin :which the major axis is arranged Ahorizontally ltofa. :position at right angles.. thereto vin which an intermediate position. As shown, maximum movement of lever 44 is required to completely close the discharge opening whereas if the tube were rotated 90, the wiping lever 44 would then only have to move an amount equal to the di mension of the minor axis of the discharge oriiice to completely close it. It will also be apparent that while the invention has been described in connection with a pilot for a pressure control system, it may be used in connection with temperature control systems or in any system in which a control of this type is employed. The invention is also capable of use on valves of various types in which regulation of the sensi tivity of the valve is desired.

I claim:

1. A valve structure comprising a rotatably mounted member having a central bore and having a centrally arranged discharge orifice at the end of the bore, and a pivoted lever mounted to move over the orice to open and close it, the orifice having a major axis of greater dimension than its minor axis whereby sensitivity of the valve may be regulated by adjustment of the rotatably mounted member.

2. A valve structure comprising a rotatably mounted member having a central bore and having a centrally arranged rectangular discharge orice at the end of the bore, and a pivoted lever mounted to move over the orice to open and close it, the sensitivity of the valve being capable of adjustment by rotation of the member to change the angular position of the orice.

3. In a pilot valve of the character described comprising a rotatably mounted member having a central bore and having a centrally arranged discharge orifice, a wiping lever mounted in front of the discharge orice and adapted to move from a position covering the discharge orifice to a position uncovering the discharge orifice, a link connected to the wiping lever, a pivoted lever connected to the link, and control means to actuate the pivoted lever, the orifice having a major axis of greater dimension than its minor axis whereby sensitivity of the valve may be regulated by adjustment of the rotatably mounted member.

4. A pilot Valve of the character described comprising a rotatably mounted member having a central bore and having a substantially centrally arranged rectangular discharge orice at the end of the bore, a wiping lever pivotally mounted in front of the discharge orifice and adapted to move from a position covering the discharge orifice to a position uncovering the discharge orifice, a pivoted control lever to actuate the wiping lever, a connection between the pivoted control lever and the wiping lever, and control means to regulate the position of the pivoted control lever, the sensitivity of the valve being capable of adjustment by rotation of the member to change the angular position of the orifice.

5. A valve structure comprising a rotatably mounted member having a bore and having a discharge opening at the end of the bore, and a member mounted to move over the discharge orifice to open and close it, the orice having a major axis of greater dimension than its minor axis whereby sensitivity of the valve may be regulated by adjustment of the rotatably mounted member.

STEN SODERBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,953,406 Hodgson Apr. 3, 1934 2,235,651 Slezak Mar. 18, 1941 2,330,654 Ziebolz Sept. 28, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 518,053 Germany Feb. 11, 1931 573,250 Germany Mar. 29, 1933 

